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JAMAICA: 66 Cruise Ship Calls for December

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Montego Bay, 2 December 2019 – Jamaica – A total of 66 cruise ships are scheduled to call at ports across the island for the month of December.  Of the total, 25 are scheduled for the resort town of Ocho Rios, with 19 for Montego Bay, 18 for Falmouth, and four for Port Antonio.

Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, told JIS News that the figure, while less than the 75 port calls for December 2018, is expected to rise as the season gathers momentum.

“The numbers that are coming out of Ocho Rios are very encouraging and we are expecting to see more of that as we get into the heart of the cruise shipping season…from December to April,” he said.

“Jamaica has the most diverse tourism product in the entire region…the most natural attractions…and some of the biggest and best cruise ports. I really expect a cruise shipping explosion over the next few years where all our ports of call will be well represented,” he added.

Minister Bartlett added that cruise lines officials are well aware of the quality that Jamaica brings to the table and as such “they continue to send their biggest and newest ships to our ports year in and year out.”

“This is why it is with a renewed sense of optimism that we are looking forward to the next couple of seasons where we will be seeing numbers out of the ordinary for cruise shipping,” he added.

Chief Strategist and Senior Advisor in the Ministry, Delano Seiveright, said that both Montego Bay and Falmouth will see further improvement, adding that Kingston and Port Royal “will eventually have their say and in a big way.”

“Cruise is now moving in a particular direction and we have to position ourselves to fully capitalise on what, inevitably, will be coming our way,” he said.  “We just have to continue to improve on our cruise offerings and ensure that our guests get to enjoy the type of experience where they will just want to come back,” he added.

Meanwhile, owner of the Ocean View Jerk Centre in Bryans Bay, Port Antonio, Bentley Rodney, said local stakeholders are looking forward to the cruise ships calls for December, three of which will be by the ultra luxury vessel Seabourn Sojourn.

“In Port Antonio that is almost like winning the lottery” he said.  

He noted that while the number does not compare to Ocho Rios, Montego Bay and Falmouth, which sometimes have multiple port calls per day “we are looking at it with great optimism that things are improving.”

Mr. Rodney said he is happy that Port Antonio is being seen as a port that will be able to “attract the smaller boutique vessels and the kind of visitors that are looking for a quieter and more relaxed experience.”

“If you want your quality rafting or to climb some beautiful waterfalls or even to hang out on a pristine white sand beach with the beautiful Caribbean Sea backdrop, then look no further than Port Antonio,” he said.

Contact: Garwin Davis

Release: JIS

Photos:

Header: Harmony of the Sea, the second largest cruise ship in the world, makes a call at the Falmouth Port.

Insert: Club Med 2 docks in beautiful Port Antonio on November 25.

Caribbean News

CARPHA Progresses to Eligibility for the First Disbursement of Pandemic Funding

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Following a landmark Public Signing Ceremony for the Pandemic Fund (PF) Technical Cooperation Agreement (“Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Prevention, Preparedness, and Response” [RG-T4387] Project) on December 14, 2023, in Trinidad, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) continues to progress towards the start of implementation.

 CARPHA fulfilled the IDB’s nine conditions prior to first disbursement, achieving full eligibility on March 15, 2024, and is now eligible for the first disbursement. This milestone achievement in just 3 months after the signing speaks to the commitment of both CARPHA, the Executing Agency, and IDB, the Implementing Entity, toward the regional PF project with the objective of supporting the reduction of the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean by building pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR) surveillance & early-warning systems (EWS), laboratory systems and workforce capacity, regionally at CARPHA and in countries.

Since the signing of the Technical Cooperation Agreement and as part of the conditions prior to first disbursement, CARPHA has achieved the following key outputs (i) the development of the PF Project Operations Manual, Multi-annual Execution Plan, Procurement Plan, Financial Plan, Procedure for CARPHA’s Financial Reporting System; (ii) vacancy announcements for two tranches of consultants with the subsequent hiring of five (Technical Coordinator, Financial Specialist, Procurement Specialist, Operations Officer and Project Operations Coordinator) and (iii) the establishment of the Project Execution Unit (PEU) and Project Execution Steering Committee (PESC). The dedicated PEU will be responsible for execution according to its planned timelines, which will be led by the Dr. Lisa Indar, the Project Director (CARPHA’s Director of Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control Division).

 CARPHA, as the lead regional public health agency and an expression of Caribbean Cooperation in Health is mandated by its Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) to support its 26 CARPHA Member States (CMS) in bolstering national systems and coordinating regional response to public health threats. The Agency works closely with regional and international agencies and uses regional mechanisms, surveillance systems, and networks for coordinating its public health response work.

In July 2023, the PF Governing Board announced that CARPHA’s regional entity proposal, entitled ‘Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Strengthened Integrated Early Warning Surveillance, Laboratory Systems and Workforce Development’ was successfully selected for the first round of financing. It was one of only 19 proposals selected from over 300 submissions and the only regional project. The three priority areas in the proposal are: (i) Comprehensive disease surveillance and EWS, (ii) Laboratory systems and (iii) Human resources and public health and community workforce capacity.

This project is expected to begin implementation in March 2024, starting off with a blended onboarding session. A Stakeholder Meeting with countries is tentatively planned for July 2024.

CARPHA remains dedicated to working together with the IDB, CARPHA Member States and the Pandemic Fund to successfully implement the regional proposal geared toward reducing the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean.

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Caribbean News

Men who had Murdered Man, Marley Higgs’ cell phone face Court

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Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Correspondent

The prosecution intends to try two young North Caicos men, both age 21 for the offense of possession of property of a murdered man, property that was stolen and landed in their possession.

The phone belonged to Peureton ‘Marley’ Higgs, who is believed to have been an innocent gunned down at his apartment complex in the Glass Shack area in a spray of bullets on February 2 that killed another man and wounded two others, including a ten-year-old little girl.

The cell phone was described as white in colour, an iPhone, in a hard black case. 

On Monday, March 18th, JEFFVANO HANDFIELD of North Caicos pleaded not guilty to the offense, and the matter was adjourned to April 2024. He was granted bail in the matter.

A second North Caicos man was charged similarly.  

SARENO CAPELLAN aka, Kino Williams is the second individual brought before the court pertaining to the said cellphone. He appeared in court a week after JEFFVANO HANDFIELD, the date being Monday March 25th 2024.

The case for the Crown is that both men sometime in February of this year possessed the cellphone knowing or suspecting it to be stolen property.

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Caribbean News

Supreme Court Closed for Easter

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NOTICE is hereby given that the Easter Recess shall commence on Friday 29th April, 2024 and end on Friday 5th April, 2024. During the Easter Recess Judge Selochan will be available to deal only with matters that are urgent or require prompt attention.

Court Business During the Easter Recess

A person who wishes to have a matter heard during the recess must file a certificate of urgency along with an affidavit, which must set out the reasons why the matter is urgent or requires prompt attention. The matter will not be listed during the recess unless the Judge deems it fit for urgent hearing.

Opening Hours During the Easter Holiday

The Supreme Court’s last sitting day for the first term is Thursday 28th March, 2024. The Court will officially resume sittings on Monday 8th April, 2024. The Supreme Court Offices in both Grand Turk and Providenciales will continue to operate while the Court is not sitting during the recess.

The Court Office will be closed on the following public holidays:

  • Friday 29th March, 2024 (Good Friday) CLOSED
  • Monday 1st April, 2024 (Easter Monday) CLOSED

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